Multiple footage has recently been released showing a female officer in Florida accidentally shooting a man during a traffic stop. The footage from the body cam of other officers has gone viral online, sparking a combination of empathy and criticism online from viewers.
In the footage, a 39-year-old man is stopped by officers for running a red light. Three officers address him at the scene, and he cooperates. The Jacksonville Sheriff’s Office also described the man as “very cooperative,” informing the authorities he had a firearm on him.
In the video, he steps out of the vehicle, allowing the officers to remove the weapon. A report confirmed that he was requested to exit the vehicle, and the police informed him that the gun would be removed. Among the police is Officer Mindy Cardwell, who goes to remove the weapon from the man’s gun holster on his waistband.
However, the gun discharges while Cardwell is removing it, shooting the diver in the leg. Cardwell looks stunned after the gun goes off and she is ordered to drop the gun. Afterwards, the officers aid the driver, and the footage ends.
A report of the incident, which occurred on December 13, detailed that the driver felt Cardwelling shaking the gun to seemingly get it out, and he asked if he could loosen his pants to help get it off, but she continued to “jerk” the gun. The report stated that the driver was treated at a local hospital.
According to a news report, Cardwell said she had to use her non-dominant hand to remove the gun because of her position and this apparently caused her to not realize that her finger was in the trigger guard.
While authorities determined it was an accident, internal affairs stated that Officer Mindy Cardwell would be terminated because she “demonstrated gross incompetence during this incident.”
